The present invention is directed, in general, to furnishings for the home or office that are both decorative and functional. In particular, the invention is directed to a vertically-oriented self-sustaining indoor waterfall planter, which serves as a decorative item of great beauty and a humidifier, while also providing the various health benefits associated with keeping plants.
Not Applicable.
The use of moving water as a decorative element in the home or in public buildings is well known. Fountains have, of course, been architectural ornamentation in public places since time immemorial. More recently, artificial, self-contained decorative items using flowing water as an important decorative element have also become known. See, for example, Quillin U.S. Pat. No. 5,326,032 which discloses a waterfall device having bowls in which the system reaches a steady state of draining and refilling in each bowl with minimal splashing, and Dunn, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,538 which discloses a device having inclined panels for providing various changes to water flow thereon.
Similarly, there have been many devices developed over the years to house plants in an upright position for the indoor growing and display of house plants. Some of these devices are purely decorative in that they are simply display stands and configurations that provide support for one or more plants. Their primary design criteria is ornamental to match the style and decor of the home or office in which they are placed.
Other indoor plant stands attempt to combine ornamentality with functionality. For example, plant stands have been configured with light sources to improve the health and lifespan of indoor plants. Other apparatus have been developed that include irrigation systems, including timers, to maintain the plants watered on a regular basis.
None of the devices have been specifically designed and configured to combine the ornamental qualities of a water fall and planter as a furnishing for indoor display in a desirable self-contained apparatus.
A need therefore exists in the art for a furnishing in which the attractive qualities of flowing water and botany are employed in a very decorative manner, which provides a degree of humidity to the air of a home within which this device is located, while having the necessary functional elements to maintain the plants properly so as to sustain and further improve their health and well-being in a controlled indoor environment.
This invention relates to a planter that includes both watering and lighting control, while at the same time presenting flowing water and plants in an attractive and stylishly compatible display. Furthermore, the present invention provides a simple, dependable and practically automatic system for meeting the physiological and cultural requirements of most plant species in a self-sustaining environment.
The present invention comprises a display portion, water reservoir, pumping system and a lighting system. Preferably, the display portion further comprises an arrangement of decorative elements that recreate a natural setting, such as rocks, soil, faux animals or insects, etc, which also allows for various orientations and configurations of the plants displayed thereon, thus not limiting the user to a predetermined arrangement.
Preferably, the decorative aspects are mounted on the display portion in an essentially normal fashion with respect to the ground surface, so that the display portion may be orientated substantially vertically, much like a picture in a picture frame. The display portion may be observed at eye-level via a support structure or member, such as a hook, easel or stand. Preferably, the display portion is supported in such a manner as to create an upward slope from the bottom to the top, so that the top of the display is further away from a line normal to the ground surface than the bottom of the display.
It is also preferred that the watering system is hidden from view, and the water, upon being pumped to a vertical height within the display, is allowed to descend through the arrangement via gravity in a manner as to resemble a plurality of natural streams. The present invention also serves to humidify the surrounding air and thus, water must be added to the system periodically.
Most plants prefer to be in an acid environment but rocks, and growth of flora and fauna may release chemicals that effect the alkalinity, among other things, of the water in the system. Preferably, the present invention comprises a means for monitoring factors such as alkalinity, pH, and temperature, or any others that may affect plant-life.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description.